The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-02-11
R Z T RI B ! TI0 N.
BY "THE DUCHESS"
CHAPTER TX

CHAPTER TX.
1t is eight o'clock on the ensuing morn
ing when Lucy, Millicent's maid, rushed
sobbing into Mrs. Brands bedroom
"Oh, ma'm Oh, my young LADY, Oh
MANI Obi poor Miss Millicentr
"What, What is it' Speak, glrlp
commands Mrs. Brand, her face grow
ing pale with nervous expectation.
"Oh, MANI that | should live to see
this day! Oh, poor, dear Miss Greyi
Her as / was fond of. Her as never said
a word unkind to mortal soul To sec
her now, and to think that only yester-
day'--
"What do you mean, girlY'' cries Mrs.
Brand, ringing the bell frantically.
"Good heavensl What has happened to
Miss GreyS'
"Oh, to only look at her, ma'm-I
thought I'd have dropped at her feet
when l pushed the door back never
knowing why it was so hard to open and
she lying against it, with her poor
head"-
''The woman will drive me madr' cries
Mrs. Brand in 4 choked tone, and, hurry
ing past her, made her way to Millicent's
bedroom.
Already two or three servants have
gathered there. The door is open, and
they are STOPPING over something lying
on the floor almost Immediately beyond
the threshold.
Mrs. Brand, with a little cry and pale
and trembling, rushes forward, the SER
wants part involuntarily, and there lying
upon the ground, to all appearance life
less, lies Millioent. Her head is thrown
backward, and one hand is tightly
clipched
"She is fainting 1t is only q faintp'
cried Mrs. Brand, with an anguish in her
tone that bellies the meaning of her words
"What are you all standing idle there
fori" turning upon the terrified women
"Has no one thought of sending for
doctor9'
She is down on her knees now beside
the pale still form, and has raised the
cold head on her arm.
eyes, nam; James has gone for
doctor" sobs the housemaid nervously
"Help me to lift her So! Oh! be gen.
tie, grill Thereon her bed. Pull up
the blinds--what are they down for at
this hour?-one would think she was
deadr'
She says this vehemently, with a sort
of defiance. But the awful word is too
much for her-it has hardly passed her
lips when her fictitious anger gives way,
she bursts into tears, and, falling on her
knees beside the bed, she stretches out
her arms to the unconscious body.
"Ohl my child My pretty grill What
| is it' What has happened to your Obi
Millicent, speak to mel'
The doctor entering at this moment,
| she calms herself by a supreme effort, for
in truth tho poor woman is terribly un-
nerved-no smallest suspicion of tragedy
having ever come near her before, in all
| her calm, easy, luxurious life.
"Hm! hal" says DR.. Thesby, shifting
about him suspiciously as he walks
lightly to the bedside and stoops over Mil
| licent. "Young lady been playing
pranks with chloroformS"
ooh, mol impossible" exclnims Mrs.
Brand. "Indeed, hardly think there is
| any in the house. Certainly none that is
not under lock and key in my own room"
Nevertheless, there is chloroform
here, or has been" says the doctor sniff
fing again. He has been examining Mill
cent while speaking and now calls for
certain things to be brought him by the
attending servants. Seeing Mrs. Brand s
Distress he turns kindly to her. II can't
quite make it out yet, but pray compose
| yourself, my dear madame. Your niece
| is by no means beyond the power of man
| yet"
| And, indeed, at the expiration of half
an hour or SO Millcent is so far recov-
| cred as to be able to smile upon them
| and whisper word or two to her aunt.
"No whispering, / think-no con-
fldences just yet" says DR.. Thesby, rub
bing his hands. "Though l agree with
you, my dear lady, that no time should
be lost about seeing into this-er-truly
extraordinary affair. What dye say, my
good woman," turning sharply to one of
the maids.
"a handkerchief, eh' Picked up by
your Lying on Miss Grey's face-or
partly SO? eh? ehS Think what you are
saying now, my good girl, as l dare say
you will have to repeat it pretty often
later on"
Yes. The girl had picked it up when
first she stopped over Miss Grey. 1t
was not exactly on her face, but looked
as If it had slipped off it.
The doctor, folding it neatly, puts it in
his breast pocket. Important evidence,
madame! If you will permit me, will
take charge of it. Heavily saturated
with chloroform, should say, from the
strength of the aroma that still clings to
it."
"Let me see It," says Millicent sud
denly, in a voice so much stronger and
with such excitement on her pale face
that the doctor thinks 1t better to accede
to her request, while still entreating her
to "Be calm.-be calm! and above all
things to be calm!'
Gas it," said Millicent afterward to
Nadine, "any one could be expected to
be calm who had just escaped being muir
dered, and had had the finest sapphires
in Enlgand stolen from herl'
The handkerchief is a large, coarse,
common one, white in color, and of such
texture as might be used by respect
able artisan on Il holiday making.
at is clew," says the doctor trium-
phantly; but Millicent, though she could
not have put her conviction into words,
feels that it will never help to bring the
real offender to justice.
"But what brought the man here
that is what want to knowf" demands
Mrs. Brand, with a little spreading OF
her hands, when the doctor has called
some hours later to find bis patient has
been sleeping quietly during his absence,
and has only reused to consciousness
again upon his entrance.
mot n word have let her speak-not
a word, +" says Mrs. Brand, with very par
donable pride, considering the extent OF
her curiosity.
"Well, / must speak now," murmurs
Millicent, still very feebly, but with a
decided increase OF strength that the
doctor finds very satisfactory.
"Why, we shall have her downstairs
in no time" declares he jovially.
Then Millicent launches into descrip'
tion of the man who had thrown hand
kerchief over her face and left her tc
live or die, as chance dictated, while he
made good his escape. 1t is this infor
nation that calls forth from Mrs. Brand
the question as to what brought him intC
her house at all that unseemly midnight
hour.
"Ahl auntiel" says the girl, looking
at her out Of her cushioned arm chair
with great pathetic eyes that have grown
greater because of the regretful tears
that are filling them. "Do you not
knowi Do you not guessS When yor
opened my hand and the sapphire locke
dropped out, did you guess nothing thenP
"No, child-no."
"That locket is a gift to me. ~
"A giftS | know that" impatiently
"a gift from your Ucnle Timothy, viii
all the rest Of those very beautiful
stones. A magnificent gift, truly"
"No!-a gift from the man who ha
stolen all those unrivaled stonesl"
"Stolenp Mrs Brand falls back In he
chair and gazes at Millicent with hor
ror stricken ewes